Carton for packaged articles



Sept. 15, l96f1 C. A. COSMAN CARTON FOR PACKAGED ARTICLES Filed June 22, 1962 l W //7 /J7 m D "I INVENTOR.

CLHUS 4. C'OSMHN BY fim HTTORNE Y6 United States Patent 3,148,776 CARTGN FGR PACKAGED ARTICLES Ciaus A. Cosman, New Bedford, Mass., assignor to The Continental Elastic Corporation, New Bedford, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 22, 1952, Ser. No. 204,329 3 Claims. (Cl. 2tl657) This invention relates to the art of cartons for packaged articles, and more particularly to a carton which facilitates removal of the packaged articles therefrom.

As conducive to an understanding of the invention it is noted that in modern methods of merchandising, small articles such as shoe laces, for example, are packaged by mounting the same on a rectangular card, for example, and a plastic transparent blister is positioned over the articles and retains the latter on one face of the card. The cards generally have an opening at their upper end and are displayed by the retailer in stores by mounting a plurality of cards on a supporting bar or rod, passing through the openings.

Where the cards are shipped to the retailer in a carton and must be individually removed from the carton and hung one at a time on the rod for display purposes, the mounting of the cards on such rods is time-consuming and this is especially the case where the retailer wishes to display a large number of the items.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide a carton which is adapted to contain a plurality of cards vfith a packaged article mounted thereon and which will facilitate the removal of the entire contents of the carton onto a supporting bar or rod without need for manually opening the carton or individual removal of the cards one at a time and which will insure that all of the cards in the carton will be properly and expeditiously placed on such supporting rod.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and more particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton is formed,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton according to the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded view illustrating the removal of the cards from the carton, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, as shown in FIG. 1, the blank comprises a rectangular sheet of cardboard, for example, illustratively of greater length than width and which is scored transversely of its length as at to define four rectangular panels 13, 14, and 16.

As is shown in FIG. 1, the panels 14 and 16 are of equal width and of greater width than the panels 13 and 15 which also are of equal width, the panels 13 and 15 defining the sides of the carton and the panels 14 and 16 defining the front and rear of the carton. The outer longitudinm edge of the panel 16 has a lateral extension 17 extending the length thereof, the junction 18 between the lateral extension 17 and the panel 16 being defined by a score line, said lateral extension defining a retaining fiap. The upper edge 19 of the panel has a substantially rectangular closure flap 26 extending longitudinally therefrom, the junction between the closure flap 2.0 and the panel 16 being defined by a score line. The closure flap 20 is of width substantially equal to the width of the panel 16 and of height but slightly less than the width of the panel 15.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 1, the closure flap 26 has a substantially U-shaped slit 23, the base 24 of which extends transversely with respect to the width of the closure flap and is located in the mid portion thereof with the legs of the substantially U-shaped slit extending toward the free edge 25 of the closure fiap. The panel 14 also has a closure flap 26 rising from the edge 27 thereof which is defined by a score line, said closure flap 26 being of width substantially equal to the width of the panel 14 and of height substantially equal to the distance between the free edge 25 of the closure flap 2 0 of panel 16 and the base 24 of the U-shaped slot 23. -As is-clearly shown, the free edge 28 of the closure flap 26 of panel 14 has a finger 2? integral therewith and extending outwardly therefrom, said finger 29 being centrally located along such edge and adapted to enter the opening in the closure flap 2t) defined by the U-shaped slit 23 to retain the closure flaps 20 and 26 in juxtaposition in the manner hereinafter described.

The flaps 14 and 16 have substantially U-shaped slits adjacent the lower edges 32 thereof to define substantially rectangular flaps 33 and 34. The edges of the flaps adjacent the lower edges of the panels 14 and 16 is defined by a score line 35 which serves as a pivotal edge.

The flap 33 on panel 16 is of width less than the width of the panel 16 and relatively narrow in height. The flap 34 on panel 14 is substantially rectangular and is of width substantially equal to the width of the panel .14 and of height substantially equal to the width of the panel 15.

In addition, the upper edges of the panels 13 and 15 have substantially U-shaped or curved notches 36 therein, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

To assemble the carton from the blank shown in FIG. 1, the flap 33 is pushed inwardly about its pivotal edge 35 and thereupon the flap 34 is also moved inwardly about its pivotal edge 35 defining a window 37 in panel 14-.

Thereupon, the panels are folded so that the panels 13 and 15 are parallel and the panel 14 and 16 are parallel and by means of an adhesive applied to the surface of the lateral retaining flap 17, the undersurface of the free edge 38 of panel 13 is secured thereto, thereby forming a carton that is rectangular in cross section. As the flap 34 will rest on the flap 33 as shown in FIG. 4, the bottom of the carton will thus be formed.

The box may then be filled through the open mouth thereof by inserting a stack of superimposed cards 39 carrying the packaged article thereon into the carton with the cards extending parallel to the panels 13 and 15. As is clearly shown in FIG. 2, the lower edges of the cards 39 will rest on the flap 34 which defines the floor of the carton and the length of the cards is such that the openings 40 adjacent their upper edges will be longitudinally aligned with each other and with the notches 36 in the panels 13 and 15. The carton is then closed by first folding down the flap 20 and then folding down the flap 26 to rest on the top of the fiap 26 with the finger 29 extending through the slot 23 releasably to retain the closure flaps 20, 26 in closed position.

To remove the cards 39 from the carton so that they will be in aligned relation on a pin or bar 41, for exam ple, it is merely necessary for the user to position the carton so that the notches 36 in panels 13, 15 and the openings 40 in the cards 39 are aligned with the free end of the pin 41 and then move the carton so that the pin extends completely through such openings. Thereupon, the carton is then pulled downwardly as shown in FIG. 3, and as the upper edges of the cards will react against the closure flaps 2t), 26, the latter will automatically be opened so that the carton can be completely withdrawn away from the cards therein which will then be positioned in stacked relation on the pin 41.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the carton above described facilitates ready positioning of a stack of cards mounting packaged articles thereon, onto a pin without need for individual placement of the cards on the pin, and Without need for manually opening the carton prior to positioning the cards on the pin.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United tates is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a blank for forming a carton, said blank comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of flexible material having three spaced parallel score lines thereon defining four substantially rectangu' lar panels, all of said panels being of the same height and alternate panels being of the same width, the edge of one of the outermost panels extending parallel to said score lines having a relatively narrow flap integral therewith,

the junction between said flap and the associated panel being defined by a score line, said outermost panel having a substantially rectangular closure flap integral with the transverse edge thereof, said closure flap having a slot therein extending transversely thereacross, the corresponding transverse edge of the panel adjacent the other outermost panel having a closure flap formed integrally therewith and extending transversely thereacross, the height of the last named closure flap being substantially equal to the distance between the free edge of the ilrst closure flap and said slot, said second closure flap having a locking finger extending from its free edge and of width slightly less than the slot in said first closure flap, the upper transverse edges of the other outermost panel and the panel between the two panels mounting said closure flap having recesses centrally located therein, each of the panels mounting said closure fiaps having a substantially U-shaped slit therein each defining a flap extending transversely with respect to the associated panel, the free edge of each of said flaps extending toward the ends of said panels mounting said closure flaps and the secured edges of said flaps being defined by score lines extending transversely across the associated panels, the flap in the panel having the narrow tlap being of width less than that of the associated panel and the flap in the panel mounting the closure fi'ap with the locking finger being of width substantially equal to that of the associated panel, the height of the last named flap being substantially equal to the Width of the panel between the panels mounting said closure flaps.

2. A carton comprising spaced parallel vertical front and rear walls and spaced parallel side walls, a closure flap of width substantially equal to the width of said front and rear walls and secured at one edge to the upper edge of one of said Walls, a second closure flap secured to the upper edge of the other of said walls, the free edge of said other closure flaphaving a locking tongue, said first closure flap having an opening adapted to receive said locking tongue releasably to retain the upper end of the carton in closed position, one of said front and rear walls having a rectangular opening adjacent the lower edge thereof, a rectangular flap secured to the lower edge of said opening and extending transversely with respect to the length or" the carton so as to extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof, said flap being'of dimension substantially corresponding to the internal dimensions of said carton and defining the floor thereof and a second fiap extending inwardly from the other wall of the carton and adapted to support the free edge of said first flap, each of the side Walls of said carton at their upper edges having substantially U-shaped notches therein, the outer edges of one of the front and rear walls having a retaining flap and the outer edge of the associated side panel being adapted to seat against such retaining flap, adhesive means being provided securely to retain said side wall edge and said retaining flap together to retain the carton in assembled relation.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which a plurality of substantially rectangular cards are provided of length substantially equal to the distance from the bottom flap defining the floor of the carton and the upper edge of the walls or" the carton and of width but slightly less than the Width of the sidewalls of the carton, said cards having apertures through the upper end thereof and centrally located thereon, whereby when the plurality of such cards are positioned in the carton, the apertures in the upper edges thereof will be aligned with each other and with the notches in the side walls of said carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,321,473 Ferguson lune 8, 1943 2,666,567 Farrell Jan. 19, 1954 2,967,611 Bolinger Ian. 10, 1961 3,082,902 Kirnbrough Mar. 26, 1963 

2. A CARTON COMPRISING SPACED PARALLEL VERTICAL FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND SPACED PARALLEL SIDE WALLS, A CLOSURE FLAP OF WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND SECURED AT ONE EDGE TO THE UPPER EDGE OF ONE OF SAID WALLS, A SECOND CLOSURE FLAP SECURED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF THE OTHER OF SAID WALLS, THE FREE EDGE OF SAID OTHER CLOSURE FLAP HAVING A LOCKING TONGUE, SAID FIRST CLOSURE FLAP HAVING AN OPENING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID LOCKING TONGUE RELEASABLY TO RETAIN THE UPPER END OF THE CARTON IN CLOSED POSITION, ONE OF SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS HAVING A RECTANGULAR OPENING ADJACENT THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF, A RECTANGULAR FLAP SECURED TO THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID OPENING AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTH OF THE CARTON SO AS TO EXTEND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF, SAID FLAP BEING OF DIMENSION SUBSTANTIALLY CORRESPONDING TO THE INTERNAL DIMENSIONS OF SAID CARTON AND DEFINING THE FLOOR THEREOF AND A SECOND FLAP EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE OTHER WALL OF THE CARTON AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE FREE EDGE OF SAID FIRST FLAP, EACH OF THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID CARTON AT THEIR UPPER EDGES HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED NOTCHES THEREIN, THE OUTER EDGES OF ONE OF THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS HAVING A RETAINING FLAP AND THE OUTER EDGE OF THE ASSOCIATED SIDE PANEL BEING ADAPTED TO SEAT AGAINST SUCH RETAINING FLAP, ADHESIVE MEANS BEING PROVIDED SECURELY TO RETAIN SAID SIDE WALL EDGE AND SAID RETAINING FLAP TOGETHER TO RETAIN THE CARTON IN ASSEMBLED RELATION. 